Featured reads

Keira continues to be a strong member of the SFU Surrey – TD Community Engagement Centre, as she is the Tutoring, Homework and English Support Program Site Coordinator. We are excited to share her continuing journey and experience with everyone, so don’t stop reading here!

The Book Buddies Program is our newest program here at the SFU Surrey TD Community Engagement Centre. We had the chance to connect with our first Program and Volunteer Supervisor of the program and have her share her current experiences with us.

Volunteering is a great way for new immigrants to gain experience, meet new people, learn about workplace culture norms, improve communication skills and give back to the community. Are you someone who’s new to the Canada with previous expertise from your home-country? Or are you looking for academic related experiences? Refugee Jumpstart may be the experience that you are looking for.

In 2013, SFU students from Enactus SFU began developing an after-school program for newcomer children and youth. That was the beginning of a now seven-year journey to co-create key community programming that has weathered many bumps and challenges. We gathered some of the people still involved with the Media Minds partnership to reflect on the nature of its strengths and resiliency, and to honour its ongoing commitment to community impact.

We are sadly writing this feature as one of our Racing Readers Program and Volunteer Supervisors will be completing her time in the role at the end of this semester. While we are sad to see her go, we wanted to celebrate her time in this leadership role, alongside other initiatives that she has supported with the SFU Surrey – TD CEC.

Volunteering can seem like a very intimidating thing to get into, especially when you don’t know people, or if you’re unsure about the role, or even when you see more ‘tenured’ members within the community. BUT!

With the SFU Surrey – TD Community Engagement Centre constantly growing, there are ones who join hands on the back end of things to make it happen, which Eleanor Wong is one of them!

Rufaida Kheraj began teaching when she was still a student herself. Standing in front of a roomful of six year old faces alight with the characteristic curiosity and wonder of that age, Rufaida knew that she would one day become a teacher.

From volunteering internationally to volunteering back home and working as a Program and Volunteer Supervisor. This is Jenny Lu’s journey and her passion to teach and mentor youth.